The immediate consumption channel in the food and beverage industry typically includes food and beverages from vending equipment such as vending machines, or host equipment such as fountain machines and coolers. In general, food and beverages that are immediately available to a consumer and are ready to eat or drink can be considered part of the immediate consumption channel.
Broadly marketing to the immediate consumption channel can be challenging. The immediate consumption channel is fragmented by a plethora of equipment manufacturers, equipment owners and operators, and equipment makes and models having varied internal electrical and software configurations. Therefore, implementing new marketing opportunities can be high risk. Extensive engineering efforts may be required to address both newer equipment and older equipment that may not conform with industry standards. Operators may require new technology to work on all makes and models of equipment, but because non-industry-standard equipment may not support new technology, the introduction of the new technology may be stalled or may fail completely.
Engineering technology that addresses the entire existing base of equipment at a cost that enables new technology to be adopted across the industry may be difficult. Within the existing base of equipment, less than half of existing vending machines support current industry standards, and within the subset that do, many of these machines may not be located in places that generate sufficient revenue to justify equipping the machines with, for example, electronics aimed at driving more sales.
Further, vending and host equipment platforms can vary widely. For example, vending machines may be unattended, with the consumer selecting and paying for the product directly at the machine. Coolers may be accessible to the consumer in an attended environment, with the consumer selecting the product from the cooler and paying for the product at, for example, a cash register. Fountain equipment may be operated by an attendant or may be self-serve and may typically require the consumer to pay for the beverage separately. Though all examples of equipment in the immediate consumption channel, the diverse nature of the equipment and the diverse nature of the consumer's interaction with the equipment can complicate the implementation of broad marketing opportunities directed at the immediate consumption channel as a whole.
Consumer confidence may be affected by money acceptance issues and the absence of loyalty and other types of rewards. These and other issues may negatively impact the consumer's experience, and therefore the consumer's loyalty at the equipment. Alternatives to currency, such as cashless payment alternatives, have been introduced in the industry. However, the cost of associated cashless terminal hardware, the limited pool of compatible equipment, and recurring fees and transaction costs associated with processing cashless payments may stall the adoption of such technology.
Consumers and operators may want an interaction experience that is available on all platforms of vending and host equipment. Operators may want to provide the consumer with an experience that breeds consumer loyalty, and consumers may want to be rewarded for their loyalty. Additionally, both operators and consumers may want cashless payment options at the equipment. Operators may also want to create marketing campaigns directed at the immediate consumption channel that can drive immediate consumption sales. Therefore, a need exists in the industry for the systems and methods to address these drawbacks.
A further need exists for systems and methods for implementing a loyalty program.